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(No Model.)

. G. L. WILEY an E. G. AGHESON.

JOINT FOR ELECTRIC GONDUGTORS.

No. 433,921. Patented Aug. 5, .l890.\

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. j

GEORGE L. WILEY, OF ARLINGTON, NEWV JERSEY, AND ED\VARD G. AOI-IESON, OF PIT'ISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE STANDARD UNDER- GROUND CABLE COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

JOINT FOR ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,921, dated August 5, 1890.

Application iiled March 27, 1890.

To all whom, it may con/cern,.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE L. WILEY and EDWARD G. AcHEsoN, both citizens ofthe United States, and residents of Arlington, in thecounty of Hudson and State of New Jersey, and Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, respectively, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Joints for Electric Conductors, of which the following is a speciiieation.

The object of our present invention is to provide better insulation in lead or metallic covered electric cables at all points or places where joints or cut-outs are made. Every electrician who has had practical experience in making joints in cables, especially those intended to carry high-tension currents and where a high insulation is necessary to be obtained and maintained throughout the cables, realizes the difficulties in making joints having these characteristics. Much time and ingenuity has been spent in attempting to accomplish these result-s. These joints have to be made in exposed positions where there is liability to moisture, dust, or other conditions which operate to render these joints insecure,

and a simple, cheap, and at the same time.

perfectly-effective joint, which may be made under all conditions, is a great desideratum. IVe have experimented and made a great many forms of joints with greater or less success, and we have found the joint which is the subject of our present invention a practical one to accomplish the results desired.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section of two cable ends joined according to our invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view illustrating a partially-completed joint. In the accompanying drawings, A A represent the metallic conductors in the ends of two cables to be joined. These conductors may be in any of the Well-known forms preferred. Surrounding these conductors is the insulating material B B, which may also be of any preferred .composition or material, and embracing the insulating material is the protective covering or sheath C, usually in the form of lead.

In making the joint the protective covering Serial No. 345,571. (No model.)

and insulating material are removed from the conductor A for a sufficient distance, and the adjacent ends of the conductors arecarefully united to make a complete metallic and electrical connection. Care should then be taken that all moisture or other foreign substances are excluded from the exposed ends of the conductors, and then we lill the intervening space between the insulation on the conductors by winding long strips of insulating material in successive layers about the joints until the space is filled up to a level with the external surface of the protective covering or shield of the cables. ln filling this space we make use of strips of paper or papier-mach or other similartibrous material which may have been previously coated or soaked in some suitable insulating compound, although we lind in some instances that the dry paper forms a satisfactory insulating material to fill the space.

Previous to the joining of the ends of the conductor and the application of the insulating material to the space a tube D is slipped overone of the adjacent ends of the cable, and this tube is formed of compressed fibrous material which is free from moisture and preferably rendered non-absorbent by the mixture therewith of, or being impregnated by, some suitable substance or composition. Vhen the joint has been completely covered with the insulating strips, the insulating-tube D is slipped over the joint, so that the ends of the tube rest upon the metallic sheaths O of the adjacent cable ends. The whole joint is then covered with fused metal, as lead or similar compound, and carefully wiped or otherwise applied, so as to completely cover the insulat. ing-tube and extend over onto and unite with the metallic sheaths ot' the cables, and thus we provide a continuous metallic sheath E, covering the joint and practically extending the protective covering of the cable.

One of the principal advantages in using strips of fibrous insulating material is that all air-spaces and dampness can be excluded from the joint, while on the other hand if the usual insulating compounds are applied to the joint the subsequent application of the hot melted lead or other material produces gases in the compound which in many cases cause small pin-holes or blow-holes in the insulating material which operate to prevent the attainment of high values in the joint, and, as is well known, the lowest value of any point in the cable is the real value of the cable. 1n many instances when otherwise high values could be attained they are lost at the joints; but by filling the space with dry fibrous material that will not form gases when subjected to the temperature used the cast joint can be applied without detriment and the desired result attained.

l. joint for cables in which the naked conductors are united, the insulating material and protective covering being removed for a certain distance each side of the joint, and the intervening space lled with strips of insulating material and the joint covered With an insulating-sleeve, substantially as described.

2. A joint for cables in which the naked conductors are united, the insulating material and protective covering being removed from the ends of the cables, and insulatingstrips of iibrous material Wound in the intervening space to ll the same, a tube of fibrous insulating material fitting over the GEoRGE L. WILEY. EDWARD G. AoHEsoN.

Witnesses as to George L. Wiley:

T. F. OCoNNoR, U. C. WoLFE. Witnesses as to Edward G. Acheson:

J. W. MARSH, FRANK L. FREEMAN. 

